Open sourceApache-2.0
Garda Agent Orchestrator
Keep governance close to the repository when the terminal is already the right workspace.
- Published and ready now
- Terminal, scripts, and headless automation
- Open-source commercial use
Product comparison
Terminal governance or a complete agent workspace?
Garda Agent Orchestrator is the open-source choice for terminal-first execution. Garda AI Desktop is the commercial product for people who need visual control, durable sessions, approvals, reviews, and evidence in one native workspace.
Public beta · WindowsRecommended
Garda AI Desktop
Operate sustained agent work as a visible engineering process instead of a collection of terminals, chats, and scattered artifacts.
- Visual workflows and durable agent sessions
- Context, approvals, reviews, and evidence together
- Native local control plane with commercial licensing
Feature comparison / October 2026
What you get in practice.
✓Fully supported◐Different approach×Not included
Feature
Garda Agent OrchestratorOpen source
Garda AI DesktopPublic beta · Recommended
Environment and connectivity
Workspace
Repository-level toolingWorks at the repository level inside Cursor, Antigravity, and other IDEs, or directly from the terminal.
Standalone development workspaceProjects, the editor, Git, terminals, and agent management come together in one desktop application.
Agent compatibility
Agent-agnosticCLI agents, native IDE agents, and API agents work through repository files and Garda commands when their environment provides that access.
Direct CLI and API agent connectionsCLI agents run in the terminal through adapters and profiles; API agents use the built-in chat.
Local-first operation
Local to the repositoryRules, gates, memory, and evidence live inside the project. Internet access is needed only for an online agent, installation, or updates.
Local to the desktop applicationProjects, workflows, run history, and memory are stored on your computer. Internet access is needed only when using a cloud agent or API.
Workflows and control
Quality gates and reviews
Profile-defined gates and reviewsThe profile defines required checks, review depth, and review areas. After fixes, Garda selects which checks need to run again.
Gates and reviews in the workflow graphChecks, transitions, and review routes are configured as nodes in a visual graph and saved with its version.
Workflow structure
Canonical lifecycleThe overall sequence of stages is fixed, while profiles, commands, reviews, and policies within it are configurable.
Flexible visual graphAdd and connect nodes, change transitions, and build sequential or parallel branches.
Profiles
Workflow profilesCreate and switch profiles for depth, reviews, finding policies, and token efficiency.
Environment and execution profilesDefine profiles for agents, models, shells, and builds; workflow versions determine process behavior.
History and resuming work
Managed by the agent or IDEGarda Agent Orchestrator does not store agent conversations. Workflow state and repository artifacts remain after a restart.
Conversation resumption for API agents onlyAPI history is stored per project, and a completed conversation can resume after a restart. CLI transcripts, events, reports, and evidence are retained, but the agent process and context are not restored.
Control over risky agent actions
Permissions stay with the agent or IDEGarda Agent Orchestrator does not intercept commands, patches, or Git operations. The agent environment handles their approval; Garda requests operator decisions only for specific protected workflow operations.
Built-in configurable approvalsDepending on the policy, the agent pauses before terminal commands, patches, Git writes, or specific task changes. The application shows the action, waits for the user's decision, and records it in the log.
Token efficiency
Agent token savingsReview context and test-gate output are compacted: successful runs become short summaries, while failures retain the relevant excerpts.
Substantial agent token savingsThe configurable Proxy Terminal compacts output from tests, builds, linters, Git, and package managers while retaining the full transcript separately. API agent context is budgeted, and tool calls return compact changes instead of repeating the full result.
Project state
Project memory
Compact Markdown filesMarkdown remains the source of truth; the local SQLite projection is only a rebuildable index.
Structured memory and a SQLite indexTyped records include versions, evidence, and relationships between entities. Relevant facts are retrieved by query and relationships within a defined budget.
Repository footprint
Managed files alongside codeRules, tasks, memory, and working artifacts are written to the repository.
Primary state outside the repositoryRun history, workflows, user decisions, and memory live in application data; only a linking file remains in the project.
Direct API connections and keys
Managed by the external agentGarda Agent Orchestrator does not receive provider keys; the selected CLI agent or development environment stores them.
Built-in API profilesDirect API keys are stored in the operating system's secure credential store, not in the application database.
Licensing and availability
Current status
Published and availableReady to install and use now.
Public beta for WindowsFree to download for noncommercial use; builds are published in the public releases repository.
Source code access
Public repository · Apache-2.0The source code is available to use, modify, and apply in commercial work.
Private repositoryOnly installers and release notes are public; the license does not provide source code access.
Commercial use
Permitted at no chargeThe Apache-2.0 license permits commercial use.
Commercial license requiredA separate license is required for freelance, employer, client, and company work.
Note: AI models are not included in either product. Use your own CLI agent, local model, subscription, or API provider.
Commercial licensing
Make Desktop the operating layer for your agent work.
Garda AI Desktop is free only for noncommercial use under the PolyForm Strict License 1.0.0, which does not permit redistributing or changing it. Freelance, employer, client, and company work requires a separate commercial license.